Duncan Green

Author

Duncan Green is a prominent development expert known for his work on power dynamics and social justice, particularly through his book 'From Poverty to Power.'

People Thinking Ideas Trying Decision Country

Born: January 1, 1955
Quotes: 31
Rank: #4952

About Duncan Green

Duncan Green — Life and Legacy

Duncan Green is a leading figure in the field of international development, recognized for his critical analysis of power structures and their impact on social justice. His influential work, particularly in 'From Poverty to Power,' challenges conventional approaches to development by advocating for the empowerment of marginalized communities. Green's core philosophy revolves around the idea that power is not merely a resource to be hoarded but a dynamic force that can be shared and expanded. He asserts that effective change requires collaboration and the inclusion of local voices, as seen in his statement that 'the future is not a gift, it is an achievement.' This perspective highlights the necessity of active participation in shaping societal outcomes. Green's insights remain relevant today, as they encourage a deeper understanding of the complexities of power and its role in fostering equitable development.

Quote collection

Duncan Green quotes (page 1 of 2)

31 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

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"There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded, undermined, threatened, wanting to have "stand-your-ground" legislation all over the place. It's alarming because at the moment, the fear is outweighing the benefits, and that's partially because the benefits have been so unequally distributed that lots of people don't feel better off. They feel threatened, angry and despairing."

Feel Better Reality People

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"You have a huge number of people who spend their time writing papers which show that migrants pay more to the country than they take out in benefits, and they say, "Why don't you approve of migration? Why don't you open up borders?" They're not able to empathize with how people feel about migration."

Country Writing Numbers

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"People think there's a single solution to complex problems, and the solution is often making an enemy of a group of people - pulling back and rejecting the other."

Thinking People Enemy

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"Until you have looked in depth at the system and found out where women in Egypt are not being cut through female genital mutilation, or where kids in Vietnam are not malnourished, or where hospitals in America are getting rid of the superbugs anyway - unless you have that level of curiosity about what's going on without you, you will always come in with your great new recipe and just ignore what's going on, and that will make you much less effective at what you're trying to achieve."

Kids Cutting Egypt

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"The death of deference seems to be general at the moment, so everybody has to earn their reputation and trust all over again. You don't just get it by virtue of being a professor or a politician or anybody else."

Reputation Moments Politician

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"There's a tendency for people who believe passionately in something to be so convinced of their rightness that if they just repeat themselves a lot at the person, that will convince them. And that hasn't worked on things like immigration or trade deals."

Believe People Immigration

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"To be effective at selling ideas, at being a lobbyist, influencing other people, you have to be very sure of yourself."

Ideas People Lobbyists

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"In the end, that's a blind alley - we have to get back to being able to think on our feet and react."

Thinking Feet Able

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"Some kinds of activists are more willing to try stuff out, see if works and think on their feet, but some of the people who are working on [change] find that very difficult: They've been schooled into thinking you have to come up with the perfect plan in advance. It has become a bit technocratic."

Thinking Feet Perfect

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"The magic formula is there is no magic formula."

Magic Formulas

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"When you get talking to people in positions of power, you find that often their worldview is framed either in terms of their disciplinary studies at university and/or the country where they first got interest in development."

Country Talking Position Of Power

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"I have to be sure of myself - in a conditional way, always being open to the possibility that I'm wrong."

Way Possibility Conditional

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"People are saying, "I have a right to my opinion. Don't just keep condescending, telling me what to think." There's something slightly liberating about that, but also it lends itself to being taken advantage of, because in come the demagogues."

Taken Thinking People

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"Somewhere like Russia or China, decision-makers have far fewer constraints on acting than in more open systems."

Russia Decision Acting

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"If you were disabled in Russia, you had to re-register every year, and it took up to six months to re-register, so people who lost limbs in Afghanistan had to prove that their leg hadn't grown back."

Russia Years People

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"There are always pressures on decision-makers other than just what is right or what is wrong."

Decision Pressure Makers

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"When we do work in places like China and Vietnam, research tends to be really effective as a way of getting change, whereas in more open places, mobilization and the creation of public pressure through the media often seem to be the things we try."

Media Trying Vietnam

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"In any system, there will be change happening without you."

Without You Happenings

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"I sound like a church nut, but look at the role of the churches in the civil rights movement in the States. People are brought together in other ways that can become drivers of change."

Rights Nuts People

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"There's no point in just hankering for the big trade unions of the 1950s or '60s."

Unions Bigs Trade

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